Hush Hush... Top Secret...

Every now and then a customer pops up on the waiting list who is a subscriber to the pre-mainstream approach to mat surfing of keeping your head down. No fuss. Low key mat. Just go surfing.

San Diego's Barry Palmatier is one of those people. He got in touch asking for a mat to ride heavy and hollow waves. It didn't take a great deal of chit-chat to come to the conclusion that a Nouveau Racer was the way forward. 

"What colours do you want mat?" 

"Black." 

"What about the grip?" 

"Black." 

"Logo?" 

"Small... Black." 

And the name? Well, it had to be "Top Secret" obviously!

Black on Black Tee

I know it doesn't look it but these are actually colour photos!

So then, Top Secret is a 200/70 build with free rocker. She's a free breather to up the responsiveness and has Puraflex 40 grip. The front corners have also been gripped to help Barry to pull her under heavy sets. 

You might see Barry if you surf around SD. If you do, the password is "the mats are flying in the fall." In fact, he's keen to meet other mat surfers so if you want to get in touch with him, give me a shout and I can pass on details.

Have fun Barry!

Cheers

G

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UPDATE 30/10/2017

Word from Barry. Top Secret has landed:

I got it Friday, and have been meaning to write and let you know. 

I am THRILLED with the mat!!! It's exactly what I was looking for. 

I haven't had a chance to ride it yet....Saturday was small junk, no form and I didn't even want to spoil the experience by taking it out in crappy surf. 

Sunday the swell came up and it was really good size off the beach, but closed out. I could have gone down to the Sloughs (google it) where it was breaking at first notch (12 to 15ft faces) but I was short on time due to my daughter having a flying lesson at noon. I would have to be out of the water and ready to drive her out by 10 am, which is really not possible when surfing the sloughs. It's a long walk down to the river mouth and then a loooooong difficult paddle out. 

Now, it's raining in San Diego, so I will probably have to wait for the weekend to give it a try... 

I'm really looking forward to riding it!

Super thanks for the mat...I can tell it's going to be exactly what I needed for hollow days. 

---

UPDATE 11/11/2017

Barry has managed to get some waves. Seems pleased. 

I got to ride top secret for the first time today. Mixed south swell, foot or two over head on the sets..very hollow, breaking hard in shallow water. WOW what a mat! First wave was a heavy late takeoff left, that would have put me out in the flats watching the shoulder peal away on any other mat. Top secret pulled in nicely delivering up a beautiful in n out barrel with quick exit and down the line speed run. I'm so stoked right now, I can hardly wait to get more. I love the way it rides, and I don't feel like I really have it dialed in yet. Super thanks for the mat, the wait was definitely worth it.

I really like it. At first I was concerned the deck would be a little slippery. It felt that way with a flat hand on the deck while walking out, but once I hopped on all my concerns were gone. Very comfortable, and it stays put nicely. I ride with low inflation 180 deg before firm, which can make it difficult to keep under you, but it was no problem. 

Super happy with this mat!

Barry

Spitfire - A Bit of Bling for TVC

Say hello to G-Mat 144 (AKA "Spitfire"). She is a 200/70 Ute built for Aussie mat surfer, Tom Carroll.

I've been eyeing this build as it's crept up with an air of excitement. Doing what I do, I have the privilege of building surfcraft for a number of people who have influenced my surfing over the years and this is one of those times.  I have never been a stand up surfer, but as a youngster, Tom Carroll's powerful, direct, no bullshit approach to riding waves had a huge impact on me.

I know what you're thinking.... That video looks just like my kneeboard surfing, right?! :D

Anyway, Tom has a pretty open mind when it comes to riding waves being well known for ripping on his SUP these days as well as charging monsters tow surfing. Part of his open mind has seen him find the surfmat.  I'm sure many people will have seen the images of Tom riding a Krypt mat at Uluwatu so there is no doubt that he has an aptitude for it.

We managed to get Tom's trademark sash into the design on the deck. We talked about the logo and settled on a bit of bling with a holo effect using glitter in clear sealant. My friends Matt and Ian over at Warpmats have been messing about with this for a bit. It gives an interesting finish.

As you can see from the shot below, Tom has opted to have his initials below the G on the central pontoon. Being a custom G-Mat, Spitfires needs a number which has been set in to the deck towards the back right corner.

Spitfire has set sail for Down-Under and should be there really soon. One thing I've learned over the past few weeks communication is that Tom gets EVERYWHERE so hopefully it won't be too long before he and Spitfire can hook up.

It's been a real honour for me building Spitfire for Tom. With his experience as a waterman, I'm really excited to see where he takes the mat.

Cheers

G

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UPDATE: 05/10/2017

Some pics of Tom from Ben Chipper over in Sydney.

Tom says he's off to France and Spain and Spitfire is going along too. Lets just hope the Atlantic can send some waves.

Cheers

G

Little Dinky Winkles!

BIRTHDAY TIME!!! That's what Chally bey Rick Kenyon said to me when he said he wanted to order a mat. Who's birthday? Well, Jasper Newitt, son of another Chally local gone AWOL, Jim Newitt. 

Jim works as the Artistic Director of Surfer's Journal (done well!) and lives in the US these days but occasionally comes to back the South Devon for a visit. His lad, Jasper, is turning 6 and apparently, had a mat which Rick managed to pop so it was only right that he got a new one.

Talking to Rick, is only seemed right to go custom so we went for a Ute scaled to the average size of an 8 year old to give some growing room.

The mat is called "Captain Jasper's" which will amuse Plymouthians. As you can see, compared to a 5 Star General, she's tiny!

Captain Jasper's is a 1000/70 wheezer so super managable for a youngster but she'll go really well. The grip is really light and primarily aesthetic to look like a big boy mat.

Have fun Jasper! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

G

G-Mat 142 (AKA "Michael Stripe")

Having taken a little time off for a wee trip away, I thought it would be nice to build myself a new mat for my personal quiver. It's been a while since I built myself a mat that wasn't a proto but I decided to treat myself.

So, what to have. Well, I've been missing my old Ubercat and it has been a really long time since I've had one. Bryn Dampney has one named "Kessel Run" and I have really enjoyed riding her when we've surfed together so 70/70 with rocker seemed the way to go. 

As you can see, I fancied a bit of colour and had surfed with a fella on a hull with stripes which I thought would look good on a mat so I got busy with the acid dye. I'm pretty pleased with how she looks, although Paul Mason did ask if I was going to "Police the lineup" (Perhaps I should have called her Nina!).

One interesting observation is the optical effects of the horizontal stripes... They make the narrower/longer Ubercat look short and fat! I did check in comparison to my Rubber Bucky though and as you can see, all is as it should be. 

Anyhoo, Michael Stripe has been surfed in waves at Gwenver in West Cornwall, that were less powerful than really warrant this design but she went well.

We also had a session in slightly bigger surf which really let Michael Stripe open up. Rail to rail surfing at speed... I forgot how much I love Ubercats!

Suffice it to say, I am really stoked to welcome this mat in to my quiver.Here's hoping for a winter of solid hollow waves! 

Cheers

G

Busy, Busy, Busy!!!

Been busy knocking out 3 mats of late. I'm building myself a new ride and didn't want to slow down the waiting list so thought I'd pull out all the stops. The third in the set is a "little" bit different so I'll post about that down the line. For now here's some info on the first two.

G-Mat 139

To start, here's Shi Shi. The latest addition to the quiver of my oldest customer, Pete D'Ewart.

Pete is a Seattle Seahawks fan, being from Washington State. He gave me free range on the logo and I thought it might be fun to go with blue, grey and green to match his team's colours (the white on the logo is actually grey, believe me).

Anyway, Pete is an extremely experienced mat man. By which I mean one of the elders who kept mat surfing alive, riding Neumatics through the barren years.  He has a Rubber Bucky and loved the speed so the next step had to be negative rocker. As you can see, Shi Shi has it in abundance! 

That rocker combined with a 70/70, free breathing construction and very light Puraflex 40 grip job means this mat is very pliable and will be very, very fast! 

Pete has some travels planned so Shi Shi is going to get a good run out in a range of good quality waves in the hands of a master.

---

UPDATE: 24/08/2017

Email from Pete with a story about the spot that was namesake for this mat:

"Shi Shi"arrived in prefect condition.  I love the feel of 70/70.  Looking forward to some long glides. Thanks & me keep me in the queue if you will.  

Shi Shi is over an hour walk through the forest, usually muddy or a 20 minute boat ride from Hobuck.  We almost hit a gray whale returning from Shi Shi a few years ago in a Zodiac.  That trip resulted in the mat pack being made by Diane, my wife.  An herring net pouch with a draw string designed with a 2" back-pack nylon belt to stuff a rolled up deflated rolled mat into making it possible to swim out and under strong inside surf.  Dale commented at the time that if it is too big to get out with an inflated mat, you probably shouldn't go out.  I had rode to far inside on a blustery big day and had to deflate the mat and swim with one arm (the other hand gripping the mat to get back out to the boat.  The mat pack frees up both arms. Fun.

Pete

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G-Mat 140

On to the second build, this time a 200/70 Ute named "Blackfish" for Julia Graham who lives near Santa Cruz, CA. Inspired by the important documentary of the same name. 

Julia has spent plenty of time riding G-Mats with here partner, Mark Garcia having both a 5 Star General and a Ute named "The Narwhal", so it was high time that she got hold of a custom fit! 

Blackfish is built with free rocker as Julia is going to be surfing a wide range of conditions and was keen for a mat that would get her moving down the line quickly. The grip is Grey Puraflex 40 so offers that reassuring sticky feel whilst having minimal impact on the overall pliability of the mat.

Things are pretty sharky around Santa Cruz right now, but that won't deter Julia! I think she's planning on just out-running them anyway... Move over Michael Phelps!

I'm really looking forward to hearing about how Julia and Blackfish get on... Stay tuned!

Cheers

G

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UPDATE: 31/08/2017

Email from Julia. Sounds like she's having fun:

Waves weren't too great this weekend but managed to catch a few on Saturday at Manresa. Love it! Really fast down the line and I love the maneuverability...and not as much mat to wrangle around :)

Thanks!!

G-Mat Goes Renewable & You Can Too!!!

Surfmats are about as eco-friendly as it gets when it comes to Petro-Chemically based surfcraft. Since the days of early headaches from Vulkem 116, I have always prided myself on seeking out the most functional sealants for gripping mats with the lowest VOC ratings. 

However, welding mats is an energy thirsty exercise with my welding table running at 750 watts and a 300 watt welding iron for corners.  There's no getting away from it, that's a fair bit of energy! 

But now the workshop has gone 100% renewable!!!

That's right. I've shifted over to an energy supplier called Bulb who provide 100% renewable electricity. Also, 10% renewable gas.  You can see where their energy comes from here:

https://bulb.co.uk/energy/whereitsfrom

Pretty sweet and here's the really good bit. Their tariffs are pretty low AND if you live in the UK, you can switch over to them via this link and get £50 credit on your account. They'll even pay any early get out fees from your current supplier!

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP AND GET £50!

That's £50 towards your next mat! :-)

So... Get on it!

Cheers

G

5 Star General 70/70 Proto

Little proto here. As you can see, this is a 5 Star General, my "off the shelf" model that I build for UK Mat Surfers. This one is different though. No, not the colour. That's just cause I had some sexy material lying around and this is a prototype.  

The 5SG is a well tested design. There are a few floating around our there and I've had nothing but good feedback from the people who own them. This one is different because of the materials. This is a 70/70 build so has a 70 denier bottom skin as normal, plus a 70d deck rather than the usual 200d. That means this mat is super light weight so gives a really sensitive and fast ride. 

I've tested this mat in small weak waves and shapely hollow racie shoulder to head high surf (see below) so far and she has gone great! 

So, all good. What this all means is that I will be adding a 70/70 5 Star General to the mix with the next batch that go to UKMS. A great addition to the quiver, if I do say so myself! 

G

G-Mat 127 (AKA "Isabel")

This is Isabel. She's a 200/70 G-Mat Ubercat built for Paul Lorello over in New Jersey.

Paul is an experienced mat surfer and got on the waiting list after getting hold of a 5 Star General from UK Mat Surfers.

Isabel has been built with a free rocker. Paul surfs hollow, fast breaking beach breaks (well, he is in NJ after all!) so free rocker seemed the best bet to get down the line whilst still benefitting from the Ubercat's hold.

The deck is 200d in royal blue and the bottom 70d navy. The grip is Puraflex 40 and covers the front corners.  The livery looks yellow in these pics but that's down to some kind of interaction with the blue I think. The logo is actually green, as you can see from the bag.

Paul has gone for a free breather to add a little more zip and a standard deck valve placement.

As for the name. Isabel is named after Paul's new Granddaughter.

CONTRATULATIONS!!!!

So off she goes. I reckon Isabel is going to be the perfect companion for Paul's 5SG. Looking forward to hearing back. Have fun Paul!

Cheers

G

UPDATE 04/08/2017

Word from Paul:

"Isabel arrived yesterday and  I lucked out  because the wind turned offshore and the 2-3 ft closeouts I’ve been riding the past few weeks turned into glass, with some punch.

Mat rode great and I was able to get a feel for how good it will be when the size bumps up, which should be soon.

Can’t say enough about the excellent quality and really appreciate the fact that these are handmade…kind of a rarity these robotic  days.

Paul Lorello"

Glory Goes Deep...

Sounds like someone scored....

"Graeme...

On Sunday, while the northern California surfing world formed a huge circle in the waters off Pleasure Point to honor the life of Jack O'Neil...I paddled out at Steamer Lane on Glory. No disrespect to Jack as he was a hugely honorable man and I have been an advocate of his products for over 40 years, but the opportunity for a perfect wave with minimal crowd conditions was too tempting (I think Jack would understand and approve, as he was larger than life on the outside but a true waterman on the inside).

To make things neat and tidy here is the deal...started off inside at Middles...caught a handful of mid-size (2-4' face) waves and got some nice long rides. Then I graduated myself out to the main break in front of the looming dark cliffside where the waves were considerably larger with 6' faces. I waited in the line up as the handful of board surfers got waves...then eased towards the deeper section behind them. Soon enough I caught a set wave, carved a nice arching bottom turn, pulled into a deep barrel section, came out as the wave rounded the point and was immediately hopped by more than 3 longboarders who had no idea I was there.

I tucked underneath the white water and returned to the line up to await the next set which came soon enough. I caught another wave with equal result except for the hoppers part as I yelled my fool head off from inside the barrel which caused them to hesitate...100 yards later I kicked out over the dwindling wave face and returned to the line up once again. As I passed through the cluster of guys who were hanging on the inside all of them commented on my ride positively.

From that point onI didn't have to say a word...just kick like hell and commit! All in all, I caught over a dozen set waves in short order and burnt my matches...legs like noodles, I caught one last wave and let it carry me to within 30 feet of the egress rock pile at the bottom of the cliff. I exited almost gracefully except for one bobble while removing my fins, walked up the steps, and found my way home.

Thank you for your part in this story...no photos this time...as I wanted to stay low key. I will go back Thursday to a much larger south swell and will shoot some video.

Alan Whitsett"

Big, Bright & Sexy!

A bit of colour on this one then! This is G-Mat 136 (AKA "Jah-Sea-I") built for San Franciscan, Jesse Witthoft. Jah-Sea-I is a Flying Carpet designed to get the juice out of even the slightest swell.

Jess is an interesting fella to build mats for. First off, he is huge!  Secondly, he has a unique riding style way back on the mat (As you can see in the pic below) so there is a lot to think about regarding grip placement. As you can see, the grip is towards the back following a design by Jesse. There is also a bungee for a leash.

Photo by @steevsea - Click the pic to follow him on Instagram

When building mats for lager riders you have to consider the weight of material. 70d fabric feels like 30d on a jumbo mat. As a result, we have gone for a 200d deck rather than the standard 70d on a Flying Carpet, but Jah-Sea-I still feels super light.

The other issue was that the original plan was for a red bottom skin. We tried and tried and tried with dying a sheet but the size of the fabric meant I just could not get an even finish around the edges. It was bigger than my work bench!  

In the end, we settled to build the mat and go for an all yellow dip dye which has come out great! I now also have a bit of red 70d fabric in the bank now (it's enough for a less massive mat!)

Finally, given Jesse's riding style and the neg rocker in Jah-Sea-I we have gone with slightly more rounded corners than normal to prevent catching.

So, Jah-Sea-I is heading of as soon as UPS get her. Can't wait to hear what the SF locals make of her! She's a fast mat.

Cheers

G

Blue Goose!

Say hello to G-Mat 135 (AKA "Blue Goose"). Blue 

Blue Goose is a 70/70 G-Mat Rubber Bucky heading out to Jesse Tuesday in San Francisco. This is a mat built for out and out speed with negative rocker and free-breathing internal venting. Jess was keen on maximising pliability whilst having plenty of traction so we have gone with Puraflex 40 grip. The front corners are fully covered to help with hanging on.

This is the second mat I've built for Jesse. His last mat, Sea Schmoo was a Ute built exactly a year earlier. Blue Goose will certainly open up some bottom end stuff for Jesse but with plenty of crossover, will also offer a different angle on his surfing.

Certainly a different ride to a 200/70 Ute. I always look forward to hearing about the experiences with neg rocker from experienced mat surfers.

Cheers

G

PS. After tats in SF? Tuesday Tattoo is your place. 

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UPDATE: 08/06/2017

Word from Jesse:

"Hey G,

    Got the Goose in the water and she’s brilliant. Fast enough to make sections and has enough bite take the hi-line. She even accelerates and holds well enough to get into the face of a wave when taking off late out in the crumble zone. Thank you again, your mats are definitely worth the wait!

     Jesse"

G-Mat 134 - Making America Inflate Again!

Meet "Glory", a G-Mat Nouveau Racer heading off to Santa Cruz. Glory is the new steed of Alan Whitsett, a mat surfer with a penchant for big and heavy waves.  Alan asked for a pretty distinctive design which, after a little collaboration, we hit bang on. 

Here's what Alan had to say about the design:

"I'm probably the happiest when I'm in the water and my humor and humanity is reflected most...it seems to me that the world needs to see that America still has goodness in it...the abstract use of the star images rather than rigid rows is whimsical...I want to be the ambassador that makes people laugh and smile, to focus on our commonalities rather than our differences." The name "Glory", ha...well it's kind of complicated...a bit personal and a bit political keeping in mind the current regime in Washington."

"My first waves were ridden on a mat in 1958...I was four. When I first paddled out last year on my 4th Gear Flyer at Steamer Lane...and caught that first wave...I remembered how glorious I felt as a four year old...sliding across the water, laughing, giggling, wanting more. The mat for me is a "new-found Glory", a "coming home" if you will. The flag design came after that realization...it just made sense to combine my sense of glory with our flag "Old Glory"

So there you have it. Pretty distinctive mat for a pretty distinctive fella. Glory is a 200/70 set-up built as a free-breather with free elastic rocker and gripped with Puraflex 40. Down the line speed is the go! 

Alan is heading off on a trip to San Jose del Cabo early next month so a Nouveau Racer seems a pretty good pick if things are firing over there. I'm sure Alan will turn a few heads! Hopefully we'll get some stories and pics.

Cheers

G

Bleddy Kernow bound, innum!?

Yes... She is. Although to an ex-pat Aussie who now resides in Newquay in Cornwall.

G-Mat 133 (AKA "Tilda") is a 200/70 G-Mat Ute built for Bill Topham. Bill wanted a stable and predictable feel to his mat so we settled on building Tilda as a wheezer. We've also gone for quite a heavy coating of Sikaflex EBT in grey as grip to help to stabilise the deck. 

Tilda has a free rocker so she is a real all rounder.

Bill has also gone for a rather fetching long sleeve tee. Nice to see G-Mat Custom Surfmats getting to exposure in "Surf City"! ;)

The thing I like most about building mats for people in the UK is the fact that I get to see them in action. I hope to get to surf with Bill at some point. I surf a few spots around Newquay and it's always a pleasure to see experienced wave riders take up the bag of love.

Cheers

G

G-Mat 131

MASSIVE MAT ALERT... MASSIVE MAT ALERT...

This is Warren Pfeiffer's new mat named "Limp Biscuit". Pretty good pun that.

Limp Biscuit is a 70/70 Rubber Bucky with negative rocker. Unsurprisingly, Warren has gone for a free-breather. She is based on Warren's current favourite ride named "Doppleganger".

There is a bit of experimentation here with every dimension across the mat being blown out a little but with I-beam heights being left. Also, a little more length.

What this means is that Doppleganger has more volume. Also, all of the contours are exaggerated so the stagger is increased, the corners a little squarer and the concave a little deeper. All in all, more lift and less grab at the corners means Limp Buiscuit has the potential to fly!

Certainly not a mat for your average matter, but Warren is far from your average matter.

A real experiment this one and has a lot to live up to following Doppleganger but lets see how she fares.

Cheers

G

Grip News

A little update on grip. First off, I've stopped using Sikaflex 11FC+. It's a good sealant and for people in the parts of the world where it's all you can get it's a good option for top-ups but my move to Puraflex 40 means it has become redundant.

Now on to other news. I mentioned a while back that UK DIY chain Screwfix were stocking Sikaflex EBT+. Good news for UK mat surfers because I personally think this is the best sealant for top-ups, whatever your base sealant. I don't know if Scewfix will export but if anyone outside the UK wants to have a go then here is the link:

http://www.screwfix.com/search?search=Sika+Sikaflex+EBT

You'll see that Screwfix are also stocking a wide range of colour too so EBT grip jobs are now available in black, white, grey, beige, brown and clear. Great news!

I'm really please with both of these sealants. They offer good grip, are resilient but not more resilient than a wetsuit (something has to give) and are both VoC free so reduce the environmental impact significantly.

G-Mat Nouveau Racer with Sikaflex EBT+ Clear Grip

Grip jobs can also be pigmented for those looking for other colours too of course.

Any questions please feel free to ask.

Cheers

G

Och Aye! It's Wee Jock McAye!

This is G-Mat 130 (AKA "Jock McAye"), a Nouveau Racer making her way north to the classy reefs and slabs of the Scottish North Coast.

Jock has been built for Steve Griffin, an ex-pat Welshman who it seems has a taste for heavy surf.

I love building mats for people like Steve. He is one of those highly experienced surfers who have given mats a go and really made the commitment to learn the art. In with both fins if you like!

So a bit more on Jock McAye. She is a 200/70 construction with positive rocker to help add a surety to turns in the pocket. Being built with glassy waves in mind, Steve has gone for a free-breather to enhance the sensitivity and responsiveness.

Steve has also opted for a Hestered valve to help to protect his boyish good looks (or that's what he said anyway). The grip is Puraflex 40 and the front corners have been covered to give that extra bit of security during duckdives, punchouts and maulings.

Steve has also gone for a cap and sweatshirt. Getting the design for these nailed nearly took as long planning the mat! Hopefully we'll get to see Steve modelling his new outfit.

I'm really looking forward to hearing about Steve's adventures with Jock McAye. This project has been a real pleasure.

Cheers

G

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Update: 14/08/2017

Update from Steve:

Jock McAye flies! Doing the job he was designed for in head and a half clean faces. Truly amazing. I'm a very happy man. Two barrels, on one wave and making it out onto the shoulder, I think you could say holding a line. 😁

Thanks Graeme!

Great to hear. That's why I do this. 😊

Bodybagged

Great video from Ozzie Adam Williams (AKA "King Waka") 

I recently did a couple of these for UK Mat  Surfers which went really quickly. More to come down the line. 

Cheers

 G

Bodybags go Fancy!

People may have noticed that a small batch of Bodybags went through to the UK Mat Surfers store recently.

Anyway, they have had a bit of an upgrade. Firstly, I went for some colours other than plain black. These two both had orange decks and one had a black bottom and the other navy. 

The other change is the addition to a bit of grip to the front corners to help to hold on to the mat. The original proto's had canvas decks but 200d decks seem to go better. However, they do get a bit slippery so this grip should fix that.  

Given the change, I am happy to add grip for anyone who had one of the last batch for free [customer pays shipping both ways], or I can coach people through the process of adding grip and will cover the cost of the sealant to do it.

More Bodybags will be along... The best way to get an early heads up if you missed out is to get on the UKMS Mailing List.

Cheers

G

A Tale of 4 Pontoons Pt 2

Ladies and Gents, please say hello to "Pocket Goblin". She's a 200/70 free-breathing Chino Racer, built for highly talented San Diegan, Mark Miller.  

Mark wanted a mat with good hold, but a bit more bottom end. Pocket Goblin should rock these boxes nicely with the easy breathing and also free rocker to allow that balance between down the line speed and responsive turning. 

Pocket Goblin has landed but the SoCal run off means there is a little delay in her maiden voyage.  

Soon though!  

G  

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FEEDBACK: 23/04/2017

Mat goes great! rode some bombs yesterday.  Nearly ripped off two fingernails holding onto fabric while getting a set in the head paddling back out.  Definitely has a low end but not a top end yet in terms of wave size.  Draws surprisingly stable lines in larger waves.

Mark Miller

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FEEDBACK: 02/12/2017

This mat works great!  I lent it to [name withheld] a great bubble rider and he loved it.  Watched him fly around on it like the happy silverback he is, by the time I got it back a few months later the grip was smoothed down perfectly for my mobile style.  Riding inflation levels between 90 and 180 degrees and it’s really hauling ass, holding in steeper waves & in bigger waves it really shines.  Stoked! 

Mark Miller

A Tale of 4 Pontoons - Pt 1

Say hello to "Gino the Chino"! She is the first in a bit of a run of 4 pontoon mats and has just set sail from G-Mat Towers to hook up with Graham Gidden on Vancouver Island.

You might remember Graham from HIS TIME WITH PHILEAS.  Graham was the perfect host.

So, moving on to the mat, Gino the Chino is, as you may have guessed, a Chino Racer. He is built with a 200/70 construction, is a complete free-breather and has a free elastic rocker so has a mind to find a line and to commit, giving Graham a secure and dependable ride in those solid, Northern Pacific conditions.

Graham fancied a bit of colour with a brilliant blue bottom and blue logo. The colour of the logo is misleading in these photo's. It is much more blue than it looks.  The deck grip is Puraflex 40 in a pattern of Graham's own design.

Graham has also gone for a bungee fitting to add a little piece of mind should his bear hug fail.

I'm a huge fan of cold water surfing so can't wait to hear about Gino The Chino's adventures.

Bon voyage!

G